


A Certain Sunday

by sg_wonderland



Series: Days series [8]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-29
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-08-18 12:45:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8162467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sg_wonderland/pseuds/sg_wonderland
Summary: Daniel’s birthday.





	

It had been, Jack thought, a long damn time since he’d planned a birthday party. Actually, if he were being honest with himself, he’d never planned a birthday party. Sarah had done all that motherly stuff. But the ball was definitely in his court for this one. He’d had offers from his mother, from Fraiser, even Carter. But accepting said offers would have entailed him acknowledging failure so he declined those offers and girded his loins.

He considered himself pretty lucky that Daniel had flatly refused a big party, with the day care set and SGC progeny invited. No, the kid would have been satisfied if they hadn’t done anything at all to commemorate his turning six. But Jack did remember the few birthdays Charlie’d had and that experience was something he definitely wanted Daniel to have for himself. 

So fierce negotiations had begun. The adult Daniel might have written a treaty that both the Tok’ra and the President had pronounced as ‘inspiring’ but he was no match for a stubborn and devious Special Ops Colonel.

Daniel won on the venue; no way was this happening in some public forum. It was either in someone’s backyard or it wasn’t happening at all; that was non-negotiable. So Frasier had volunteered her very large and lovingly tended backyard, complete with pool. 

Food was a non-issue. Daniel liked hamburgers so a cook-out was agreeable to both parties. Jack held firm on the cake and ice cream so Daniel finally acquiesced after receiving Jack’s assurance that he wouldn’t produce something that might be called upon to feed the multitudes.

Decorations they both pronounced as completely unnecessary but agreed to allow Fraiser to drape a few balloons in a tree or something.

Jack won on the presents issue. Daniel was aghast that people would be expected to shop for him, although Jack suspected that Daniel having to open those presents in public might have quite a bit to do with his expressed displeasure. A compromise was reached and invitees were informed that although presents were not required, they would not be refused, but the recipient would prefer non-extravagant purchases. Jack secretly thought his parents were courting danger since he knew where their present was coming from and it wasn’t Wal-Mart.

So the party was on. Jack would have, if forced, stuck to Sarah’s hard-and-fast rule of actually having the party on the correct day and not waiting for a more convenient week-end; as it were, the eighth happened to fall on a Sunday. Invitations were made, by phone call as per Daniel’s orders of no cutesy Hallmark-type card with matching envelopes. Unbeknownst to either of the negotiating parties, behind the scene scheming between the women in their lives, i.e. Janet, Sam, Cassie and Caroline, ensured that adequate refreshments and entertainment would be provided. 

*

Jack wasn’t at all surprised when someone knocked on his front door around mid-morning on the big day. “Daniel, your grandparents are here!” He yelled up the stairs as he opened the door.

His ex-wife stood on the doorstep.

“Jack.” Finally, she spoke into the heavy silence. “So, are you going to invite me…?” Her voice failed as the door was swung open wider and looking down, she was presented with the surprise of her life, in the body of a very small boy peering shyly around Jack’s legs.

“Jack, that’s not Grandma.” He pronounced with obvious disgust.

His hand automatically palmed the curl-covered head. “Why don’t you go back upstairs? I’ll let you know when they get here.”

Daniel didn’t budge, just stared at their visitor.

Sarah found herself smiling at the earnest blue eyes perusing hers. “Hi, I’m Sarah.” She offered, kneeling down to his level.

“I’m Daniel.”

Her eyes swung up to Jack’s. “Daniel?”

“Daniel’s son. I’m taking care of him. And you might as well come in, so we don’t have this conversation in the doorway.” He closed the door behind them. “Daniel, I thought you were going upstairs.”

“Let him stay, Jack. I’d like to get to know him.”

“Daniel, upstairs, please.” They both watched as Daniel dragged himself slowly up the stairs. Sarah started to speak, but Jack held his hand up. “Daniel. I didn’t hear your bedroom door.” They both heard it close, not quite a slam, but more a determined shut. “Have a seat, Sarah, would you like some coffee?”

“No. I’m fine. About Daniel…”

“His father is listed as MIA, the mother is dead. I have temporary custody.” Jack slouched in the chair opposite the couch.

“How long have you had him?”

“Ten months. It’s been a learning experience. For both of us.” He admitted with a shrug.

“I’m so sorry about Daniel, I hope he’s alright.”

“We hope so, too.”

“This must be very hard for you.”

“Actually, it would have been much harder knowing he was with someone else.”

“I’m sure you’re doing a wonderful job.”

“Can I get that in writing? For the next time he decides I’m completely unfair because I won’t let him play in traffic or stay up all night or God forbid make him eat something healthy.”

Sarah smiled at his expression. “Charlie hated vegetables, too.”

“I remember.” Jack whispered.

“He seems to be very sweet.”

“He can be.” Jack paused, and then finally grinned. “Mostly when he’s asleep.”

“He mentioned his grandmother?”

“My parents, he doesn’t have any family left. The folks kind of latched on to him.”

“Poor baby. I imagine he’d be hard to resist.”

“Oh, you have no…” The door interrupted him. “That would be the aforementioned grandparents.”

“I should go..” She rose.

“Sit, sit, they’d love to see you. Mom, Dad, come on down here, I’ve got a surprise.”

Sarah stood awkwardly as her former father-in-law entered, carrying a package wrapped suspiciously like a present. “Hi, Michael.”

“Sarah!” He quickly set the present down and enveloped her in his arms. “Jack didn’t tell us you were coming today.”

“I dropped in without warning.” Sarah was eyeing the package and coming to a conclusion. “It’s his birthday, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is. Dad, why don’t you and Mom go on up to Daniel’s room? Let me talk to Sarah.”

“It was good to see you, Sarah.” Caroline kissed her cheek. “You could come…”

“No. No, I couldn’t. There is a little boy up those stairs who needs his family today of all days. Go make him happy.” She paused to give her ex-husband a quick kiss. “I’ll call before I come the next time. You are and always have been a very good man, Jack O’Neill.”

*

Jack closed the door behind him. “So, can we talk?”

“Why?”

He knew Daniel had felt the tension downstairs. “Come on, I know you’ve got a million questions about Sarah. So spill, kid.”

“Who is she?”

“Sarah and I were married to each other a very long time ago. Do you know what divorce is?”

“Max’s mom and dad got a divorce. It means they don’t love each other any more.” Daniel hugged his knees to his chest.

“That’s one way to put it. Sarah and I still loved each other, but things happened and we couldn’t stay with each other and be happy anymore. So I moved out and we tried to be happy without each other.”

“So people who love each other sometimes change their minds?” His voice suddenly seemed quite small and scared.

“It happens.” Daniel buried his face in his knees, mumbling something. Jack snagged an ankle and shook it. “Come on, kid, I can’t understand you. Sit up here and tell me what’s wrong.”

The blue eyes that met his were huge with fear. “What if you decide you don’t love me anymore?”

Mentally cursing himself, Jack dragged Daniel up, felt those arms around his neck, the head on his shoulder. “See that’s a special kind of love. The kind a mom and dad feel for their kids. And that kind never, ever goes away. I promise you that I’m never not gonna love you. That will never happen. Never. You could never do anything to make me not love you. Okay?” Then Jack felt something that might have been the flutter of rain-dampened butterfly wings brushing his cheek. Yeah, he thought, as he rose with Daniel in his arms, this feeling was something he never, ever wanted to lose. “Come on, kid, we’ve got a birthday party to go to.”


End file.
